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China’s 144-hour Visa-free Transit

The 144-hour Visa Free Transit in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing

The 144-hour visa-free transit policy is part of China’s transit without visa (TWOV) programs and came into effect since January 30, 2016. It allows foreign travelers from 53 countries and regions to transit in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Xiamen, Wuhan, Chengdu, Kuming, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Liaoning Province, Shangdong Province and Hebei Province for less than 144 hours (6 days) without China visa, before continuing their journey to the third country or region.

Note: you are supposed to stay in the specified geographic areas, which are Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and are not allowed to go to other cities.

How to Apply for 144-hour Visa-free Transit in China?

There is exclusive access for security check in the designed ports of entry if you request for 144-hour transit visa exemption. However, all of the following criteria must be met and you must provide the required documents.

Requirements

Passengers should hold an onward air ticket to the third country with confirmed seat and date, as well as a valid visa to a third country or region (if necessary). That means you may not return to the same country where you are from.

Passengers must arrive and depart from the designed ports of entry.

During the stopover, passengers can travel in Shanghai, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province, but are not allow visiting any other cities of China.

The stopover time was limited to 144 hours. But the 144-hour visa-free transit begins at 0:00 on the next day. Therefore, passengers are actually allowed to stay for a little longer than 144 hours.

Required Documents

Your valid passport or other international travel document

An onward air ticket to the third country with confirmed seat and date

A valid visa to the third country (if necessary)

A completed entry/exit application card

Procedure – Six Steps to Apply for 144-hour Transit Visa Exemption

The carrier must be notified before arrival so that they can convey your request to the immigration office for processing

Fill in the entry/exit application card

Apply for 144 hours of transit permit (144-hour TWOV) on arrival. After your 144-hour free transit request is approved, the official will affix a stop seal on your passport to show the length of time allowed.

Claim your luggage

Go through customs procedures

Procedures finished, you may leave the airport

Note: If a passenger must go visit another city or can't leave the country in 144 hours, he/she must apply for an ordinary China visa at the local public security bureau. Or they will be fined.

>> Good news has that the State Council of China will designate more ports of entry and exit for the 144 hour TWOV program. In the near future, nationalities of the above mentioned 53 countries can also get 144-hour visa-free transit in Guangdong Province (via Guangzhou Baiyuan International Airport, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, or Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport), Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province.

144-hour Convenient Visa to Guangdong Province

144-hour Convenient Visa to Guangdong Province’s 10 cities begins to be carried out in late 2000. it offers simplified entry and exit procedures to passengers who have just visited Hong Kong and Macau and allows them to stay for not longer than 144 hours (6 days) without China visa. For almost two decades, the policy has provided great convenience for billions of passengers and benefits a lot to promote the tourism development of China’s Pearl River Delta region.

Eligible Entry Ports (Cities) in Guangdong Province

China’s 144-hour Convenient Visa Requirements

To be eligible for this convenient visa to enter Guangdong Province, the applier must:

Be from the countries or regions that have diplomatic relations with China

Hold a valid passport

Join a group tour arranged by a registered travel agency in Macau or Hong Kong

Travel with a group of minimum 3 people and maximum 43 people

Enter and exit at the designated ports (see above stated)

Arrive and depart together with the same group

Stay and visit the designated geographic areas, and are not allowed to visit any other places

Application Procedures

When entering Guangdong Province via the designated ports, passengers applying 144-hour Convenient Visa need not fill in the arrival/departure card, and will be released after checking the passports and the list of names of tour group members. The entire process is as follows:

1)Your Hong Kong or Macau travel agency submits the name list of all group tour members to a registered travel agent in Guangdong Province for the 144-hour Convenient Visa application.

2)The travel agency in Guangdong Province then will submit the application documents to the offices of designated ports of entry.

3)It normally takes about one working day for the processing.

4)The eligible applicants then may enter and exit the designated ports, and stay in the designated cities.